US blockade against Cuba undermines and damages health care cooperation

HAVANA, Cuba, Nov 9 (ACN) The current campaign to try to discredit and hinder Cuba's international medical cooperation is among the many damages caused by the United States blockade against the Caribbean island, particularly its universal health system.

The U.S. government spreads slander against such medical aid and has gone so far as to demand that other countries not seek it, even in the midst of the global emergency against COVID-19, an epidemic affecting 185 nations and which to date has sickened some 50 million people and killed more than a million worldwide.

In spite of its actions, the US has failed to prevent more than 3,000 Cuban collaborators, organized in 38 medical brigades, from contributing to the fight against the coronavirus in 28 countries and three non-autonomous territories until July 1.

This fight has also been joined by more than 28,000 Cuban health professionals, who were already providing their services in 59 nations before COVID-19.

In spite of the massive, flagrant and systematic violation of the human rights of the whole population, as the blockade has been, Cuban medical collaboration since its beginning in 1963 has been present in 164 countries on all continents with 407,000 cooperators, who have raised the name of their homeland high up in the most remote places of the international geography.

During the 57 years this campaign for life has been recognized by thousands of people assisted and saved, as well as by governments and international organizations such as the Pan-American and World Health Organizations.